


A Birthday Kiss

by boogiewoogiebuglegirl



Category: Changi
Genre: Eddie/Curley if you squint, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-11
Updated: 2013-03-11
Packaged: 2017-12-04 23:51:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/716481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boogiewoogiebuglegirl/pseuds/boogiewoogiebuglegirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on a prompt from LJ yonks ago: Eddie's toothache and the fever dreams the infection gives him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Birthday Kiss

“Just keep an eye on him, men. Unfortunately, I’ll have to take that tooth of his out. Otherwise he’ll become septic and in our current facilities, I don’t think he’d make it.”

 

“Righto, Rowdy.”

 

“He’s still pretty hot, Rowdy. Is there anything we can do?”

 

“Nothing at the moment I’m afraid, Bill. If we were back home, I’d give him some aspirin or something stronger for the pain. I could even get him penicillin for the infection. Once the tooth is out I’ll leave it up to you men to take care of him. He’ll have to ride out the fever as best he can.” A pause. “He’s a strong man. He’ll make it. Right. I’ll need to hold him down. He will struggle.”

  

 

* * *

 

 

All of this, Eddie half-heard, as if in a dream. All he could feel was a continuous throbbing in his jaw. His whole body felt as if it were on fire.

 

He closed his eyes, trying to blink the pain away. He opened them again and found himself in a wine bar from back home. The bar was small and simple. It was built on the back of one of the smaller vineyards and he found himself there often, especially after his mother passed away. Not because he drunk a lot, but because he needed to get away from his house.

 

Somehow this bar was different. Instead of the neat tables surrounded by stools there were cots, as supplied by the army. On each cot there was a wounded soldier. Eddie pulled himself up from his cot and glanced around the room.

 

At an upright piano in a corner, a tall & lanky girl sang Vera Lynn songs accompanied by a young man. As Eddie got closer to the piano, he noticed that the girl was not, in fact, a girl. He noticed the Adam’s Apple bobbing up and down in time with the music.

 

“Curley?” asked Eddie.

 

Curley held up a hand to Eddie, silently asking him to wait until the song had finished.

 

At the end of the song, applause came from the men lying in their cots. Curley curtsied and sat down next to Tommy on the piano stool.

 

“So glad you could make it, darling!” Curley squealed at Eddie, grabbing one of his hands. “We’ve been waiting for you! I hear that it’s a special day for you…”

 

Eddie stood back a little. Not only did Curley have his light brown hair lengthened so it hung around his elbows, but he wore a blue gown with a slit up one leg, showing far too much hairy white leg than Eddie thought necessary. Tommy had dressed up as well; he wore a tuxedo with a blue bowtie the same colour as Curley’s dress.

 

Curley fluttered his false eyelashes at Eddie and stood up, still holding onto his hands. “There are so many people here to see you! Of course, most of them came to see me perform – as they will do – but some of the boys are here for your birthday!”

 

“My birthday?” asked Eddie. “But, I haven’t shaved! I always shave on my birth-”

 

“-and we’ve got just the man to help you!” interrupted Curley.

 

Rowdy appeared wearing a smart white shirt, a black tie and a white jacket. In his hand he held a razor and a shaving brush. “Now this may hurt a little, Eddie. I’ve got the boys to help me out a little. Try not to resist, there’s a good man.”

 

Eddie felt pressure on him as the five other blokes, including Curley in his dress, held him down. Pain shot through his jaw as Rowdy shaved him.

 

“Sorry, I missed a spot, Eddie,” Rowdy said, peering down at Eddie. “You’re almost done. Then you can go back to the dance.”

 

Eddie found himself screaming at Rowdy to stop.

 

Suddenly, it was over.

 

“Alright, men, you can let him go,” said Rowdy. “Make sure he’s in uniform and teach him the steps. As you were.”

 

Eddie was stunned. He sat up and looked at the five men around him. Curley, playing with the ends of his long hair, looked down at his blue high heels. Tommy, still in his tuxedo, headed back over to the piano to practice the next song. Gordon, Dave and Bill were dressed in white trousers and matching red and white-striped jackets.  Each man had a boater hat on their head.

 

“We’re just waiting for you, mate,” said Bill, holding out a hand to Eddie. “How could we call ourselves a Barbershop Quartet with just the three of us?”

 

Eddie looked down at himself again and he wore the same attire as the other three. “What is this? This had better be a bloody dream. Either way, I’ll never be able to look Curley in the face again.”

 

Bill grinned and pulled Eddie up. “Time for the song, mate. You’ll know it once it starts.”

 

Eddie followed the others to the piano as Tommy began the introduction to _Happy Birthday_. Eddie smiled as he recognised the tune and stood embarrassingly waiting for the song to be over.

 

“….happy birthday to you,” finished the boys in perfect harmony, with Curley singing an impressive descant.

 

Eddie grinned. “Cheers, blokes.” He yawned. “I reckon I’d better lie down somewhere; my head’s killing me.”

 

Curley shimmied over to Eddie, hooked his arm through Eddie’s and led him back over to his cot. Eddie crashed on to the bed as his head began to swim.

 

“Sweet dreams, birthday boy,” whispered Curley and leant down to give him a birthday kiss on his freshly-shaved cheek.


End file.
